Dundorf
The Bundesrepublik Dundorf (BRD) is a both a country and a nation-state in north-central Artania. Dundorf is the home and protector of the Dundorfian language and ethnic group, known as Volksdundorfe. Geography Dundorf is bordered by Kirlawa to the northeast, Kundrati to the east, Rutania to the west, Ikradon to the south and Aloria to the northwest. Dundorf is a landlocked nation, and rests at a high elevation with numerous mountain ranges. Länder Dundorf consists of five regions, called Land. The Land are Dunlake, Julstoch, Grozvic, Oderveld and Chontaloia. History Early History The modern Dundorfian language and ethnic group are thought to have developed from a single nomadic tribe in northern Artania. This tribe, along with numerous other tribes in the region, eventually developed a sedentary lifestyle and built a strong, yet decentralized, culture. The first Dundorfian culture began to spread throughout northern Artania before filling the vaccuum in the south created by the exit other tribes and ethnic groups from the invasion of the Tokundian peoples, the descendants of modern Deltaria. Here, it is firmly believed, the first Dundorfians settled amongst the mountains, forests, and valleys of modern Dundorf. The Migration Era Between the 600s and 400s BC, modern Dundorf's Grozvic region is thought to be the northernmost extent of the Tokundians. Here, the two groups intermixed both socially and culturally; with a few modern Dundorfian folk cultural activities directly borrowed from this time. Linguists firmly believe that the mixture of these two cultures created the hybridized language known as Dunedurfer (named after an ancient ethnic Dundorfian village of the same name), which is the direct ancestor of modern Dundorfian. As the Tokundian empire slowly began to retreat south towards Majatra, it is thought that some Dundorfians migrated with them. This movement is what is believed to have extended ethnic Dundorfian range into northern Ichredön (Ikradon). Around 320 BC, a small number of ethnic Dundorfian tribes with newly acquired Tokundian weapon technology, culture and social influences expanded by migration and raid into modern Kirlawa and Rutania becoming permanent fixtures in these nations that has lasted to this day. It is the presence of these ethnic Dundorfians that would play a major role in the development of Dundorf as an ethnically homogenous nation-state. For the next five centuries, from 200 BC to 200 AD, the area ethnic Dundorfians resided in remained relatively quiet. Evidence supports the idea that further migration of ethnic Dundorfians throughout the region continued and is it believed by the end of this period nearly half of modern Dundorf was settled. Evidence shows that during this same period the climate warmed slightly causing bumper crop harvests and a susequent increase in population. This population increase put pressure on the small areas of settled land. The excess population was siphoned off to the fill the ranks of Dundorfian raider groups, the venerable Bear Raiders (Bären-Räuber), which began the gradual invasion of modern Ichredön to the south. The Ichredön Conquest By 801 AD, a small number of Dundorfians had slowly overrun all of the rich kingdoms of modern-day Ichredön and had grafted themselves at the top of the existing social and political power structure. Mainland Ichredön was effectively under ethnic Dundorfian rule but curiously remained under ethnic Ichredön administration. As expected, during the next four centuries of occupation Dundorfians slowly adopted elements of Ichredön civilization in a more-or-less a la carte fashion, often changing ideas or technologies to fit their culture; the most prominent of which was the adoption of Catholic Christianity. However, Dundorfians showed little initiative in adopting the seafaring ways of the ethnic Ichredön groups on the coast of the Golf von Ichredön (Gulf of Ikradon). This failure in adaptation kept nearly all of Ichredön's overseas colonies free from invasion. ---- The First Confederation Era During the next two centuries the areas under ethnic Dundorfian control remained decentralized but stable. These areas were divided into small Fürstentümer (principalities), Herzogtümer (duchies) and Grafschaften (counties) each ruled by a noble family of higher or lower rank. These familes would come to be known as the Uradel or Old Nobility. Many prominent names such as von Eschenbach, von Kahr, and von Burchardinger stem from this era. One of the adaptations from Ichredön society was governmental centralization. Traditional absolute decentralization ended in 1057 with the creation of the Adel-Bündnis (Confederation of the Nobility). The Confederation was developed to better control the newly acquired Ichredön lands and to more adequately defend the areas under ethnic Dundorfian control. This first Confederation was led by the Imperialer Wähler-Rat (Imperial Elector Council) representing all Hochadel (High Nobles) from throughout the land. The Elector Council met very infrequently but still maintained the highest power in the land with the sole responsibility of electing the de jure head of the Dundorfreich (Empire of Dundorf): Der König von Dundorfreich und Ichredön. The first King elected was Manfred II von Eschenbach, Großherzog von Grozvic (r. 1059-1064). The King held little real power but helped unify the Reich, organized defense and helped negotiated with foreign dignitaries and nobility. Despite the Confederation the Reich remained a strong adherrent of feudalism. Local autonomy was paramount on most matters of society and state. The Loss of Ichredön Over the nearly four centuries of ethnic Dundorfian control, Ichredön kings attempted to retake the country numerous times. The most notable incident was in 1267, when King Irkadonous III invaded the Gildark Erzherzogtum from his colonies with an enormous army. Ikradonous was met on the coast by a low nobleman, Graf Gerhard Joseph von Wittelsbach, and soundly defeated. Von Wittelsbach was granted a Großherzogtum (Grand Duchy) by King Hans Otto III von Burchardinger, Fürst von Julstoch and König von Dundorfreich und Ichredön. In 1272 Ikradonous returned again from the colonies with a small vanguard army and led the Ikradonian people in a general rebellion. In February of 1275, at the siege of Schloss-Felsen on the coast, Ikradonous defeated a Ritterdundorf (Dundorfish Knights) army led by Graf Peter Sebastien von Rommel. Von Rommel's defeat forced the ethnic Dundorfian rulers of Ichredön to retreat from the coasts along with most of the ethnic Dundofian population that had settled in southern Ichredön. Ethnic Dundorfians were always to remain a minority within the borders of Ichredön. The Collapse of the First Confederation Soon after the loss of Ichredön, the Dundorf kingdom was beset by large numbers of ethnic Dundorfian refugees from the formerly conquered lands. The loss of lands, titles and the fear of possible Ichredönian invasion led to the breakdown of autonomous local order. More and more eyes were turned toward the King and the Imperial Elector Council. In 1278, the King and Council called for a Großartiger Rat (Grand Council) of all noblemen, high and low, throughout the kingdom. This new Council met in November of the year to decide on steps to take regarding the refugee situation. The Council voted most of their powers of autonomy to centralized control under the Imperial Elector Council and the King. ---- The Autocracy Era From 1279 to 1519 the King and Council ruled the Dundorfreich with varying degrees of loosening centralized control. A period of stability, cultural and economic growth developed throughout the kingdom but life in the countryside and small towns went on much the same as it always had. University towns, such as Chonstaat-am-Bingen (Chontaloia), Unterschloss (Oderveld), and Volzhaus (Julstoch) developed with help of the Catholic Church, thus increasing the intellectual and cultural importance of the kingdom. In 1519, the tranquility of almost 200 years was shattered when a Dunlaker merchant named Gert von Tassel (Duntrekker: Van Tassel) and his family returned from Luthori with a new faith: Calvinism. Formation of the Duntrekker Minority As in most Land of Dundorf, the Duchy of Dunlake was agriculturally-oriented but had its small proportion of wealthy merchants from the Duchy's only large town: Nordenhaus. Gert van Tassel came from one of these wealthy merchant families. While on an eight-year assignment in modern Luthori for the Hohe Handelszünft von Norden Haus (High Merchant Guild of Nordenhaus) van Tassel, as all merchants, moved throughout the merchant social circles of Luthori. It is within these circles that the van Tassel family is documented to have been baptized in the new Reformed Protestant faith. In the latter part of his stay, van Tassel studied at a seminary and became an ordained minister. Upon the completion of his assignment in Luthori, he and his family travelled back to Dunlake, where he quickly gained converts and started the first Reformed Church in the small village of Treptow. These initial converts quickly became pariahs to the majority Catholic noblemen and peasants throughout Dundorf. Religious discrimination, both official and unofficial, befell many small communities of Calvinists, soon termed Dunners by adherents. Because of this discrimination and persecution, Dunners soon came together in small communities for protection; often collecting on lands of Niederer Adel (lower nobles) who had themselves converted. It was within these small communities, cut off from the rest of society, that the foundation of modern Duntrekker culture and language came to developed. Tolerance and Persecution In 1529, Gerhard I von Wittelsbach was elected King and brought in a wave of tolerance towards Dunners. Under the Protestierende Gesetze (Protestant Laws) of 1530, local noblemen were pressured to allow Dunners to worship freely under conditions that they do not attempt any further conversions of Catholic subjects. Within two years Dunners, both nobles and peasants, were given permanent lands in Dunlake and encouraged, sometimes violently, to migrate to them. The reign of tolerance ended in 1534 with the death of Gerhard III. Trade and movement restrictions, forced conversion and general persecution by local lords quickly followed the coronation of Harold von Eschenbach, Großherzog von Grozvic. It was only a few years later that the "Great Pogrom" occured. On Easter 1537, fueled by rumors of ritual murder and sexual pervesion, the Catholic subjects of Dunlake raided several of the autonomous Dunner communities bent on looting, and destroy property. However, the violence soon went out of control. It is documented that 24 Dunners were killed (many through torture) and an estimated dozen Dunner women, young and old, were raped. Early histories of the era often claim that local noblemen were directly responsible for ordering the pogrom but recent study has proven that the nobles were guilty only of turning a blind eye to the violence and persecution. Many smaller pogroms and isolated acts of violence continued throughout the sixteenth century but became less and less common as more and more of the peasantry began to convert. By 1610, almost half of the peasantry of Dundorf classified themselves as Reformed Protestant, but conversion was by no means even. Dunlake, Oderveld and Julstoch regions gained the most converts while Chontaloia remained the most staunchly Catholic. Full Protestant Conversion Protestant conversion progressed steadily throughout the seventeenth century and was aided in 1655 by the foundation of Königliches Christliches Priesterseminar (Royal Christian Seminary). It was around this time that many noblemen began to convert. The most notable, was Graf Helmuth von Hohenstauffen in 1698. With the conversion of the House von Hohenstauffen, an influential family in the royal court, many of the other Uradel and lower noblemen felt compelled to follow suit with their own conversion. By 1705, Church documents show that exactly two-thirds of all noblemen in the kingdom were Calvinists. The Catholics in the nation, facing eradication by conversion, struck back in January of 1700 in what came to be known as the Second Great Pogrom. This wave of violence struck the Dunners harder than others, since they were more isolated and perceived as more secretive. In this Pogrom, the numbers of dead reached nearly 3,000 and is considered the paramount cause of the Groote Duntrek or migration of thousands of Dunner families out of Dundorf and to various corners of the world including Saridan, Likatonia, Pontesi, and Malivia. This Duntrek lends its name to the modern ethnic Duntrekkers minority group found in Dundorf and other countries throughout Terra. Despite the violent reaction of many Catholics, by 1718 around 88% of the populace had been baptized Protestant. Collapse of the Autocratic Era With the Calvinist emphasis on localism and the abundance of noble conversion, the powers of the King were in steady decline. In 1718, most nobles simply retreated to their own lands, effectively ignoring the political and social power of the autocracy. It took two years of summoning but in 1720 the Elector Council finally met, only to eliminate the monarchy and then proceeded to vote itself out of existence in less than a day's time. ---- NOTE for EDITOR: House von Klings & House von Duisberg Modern History In 1882, Dundorf founded the Badara Protectorate. The Sultan of Al'Badara acted as a puppet of Dundorf's government. This protectorate effectively collapsed in 1928, during Dundorf's civil war. In the 1920s, Civil War broke out in Dundorf between Socialists and Capitalists. In the early 21st century, Dundorf was home to Kalistan's exiled House Ananto. Dundorf hosted Dorvik's Sir James Chisem during his period in exile between 2038 and 2043. In 2166, the International Greens held their conference in Dundorf. In 2183, the Dundorf Sovereignty Coalition was created for the purpose of ending the economic war against Dundorf. In 2262, Dundorf sent troops to Barmenistan to aid the Insurgent Tendency in their attempts at Aotearoan independence. They withdrew in 2270 after a major military defeat. Recent History In 2312, Adolph Dinkel of Dundorf was co-awarded the first Hero of Terra prize (with Lord Timothy Bunton of Dorvik) "For founding and spearheading peace talks between the nations of Dorvik and Dundorf." This ended the hostile relations between the two nations that had been ongoing for a number of years. During the 2320s, several Stalinist organizations, such as the KED, allowed the Deltarians to invade Dundorf. However, a staunch Right-Wing and moderate Left-Wing opposition never allowed the Deltarians to get the complete control (see Deltarian political invasion of Dundorf ). To this day, the Right-Wing never trusts the Left-Wing, especially during the recent Right-Wing rule in the 2360s, which just ended. 2330s Crisis Starting in the 2330s, Dundorf gave aid to the Popular Militia led by Colonel 'X', the leftist forces in the Kirlawan Civil War. In March of 2335, Dundorf officially entered the war against the Fascist forces. After peace talks, Dundorf sponsored the nascent Democratic Republic of Kirlawa, the most leftist of the four nations making up divided Kirlawa. Many Dundorfian fighters fought for the DRK during both the first and second Kirlawan Civil Wars, in the 2330s and 2360s. In 2335, the Senate building in Fairfax, Dorvik, burned down. Dundorfian interests were initally blamed, but this was never proven. Also in 2335, Dundorfian elements were accused of supporting six Socialist-linked bombings in Kundrati, famously detailed in the Spoletto Report. In the late 2330s, rightist elements in Dundorf accused some DCMLU parties of being funded by Dundorf's socialists; these accusations led to the arrest and conviction of Green Freedom Party leader Tekno Kratt in 2339. Recent History Dundorf is thought to be the original location of the Dundorfian bird flu, which hit parts of Dorvik hard during the early 2360s. In the mid 2360s, Dundorf was invaded by Rutania, who briefly unseated the Communist government. The invasion was a catalyst to the Second Dundorfian Civil War In 2428 Dundorf was proclaimed a Kingdom with the crowning of Kovács Márton as König. König Márton's rule lasted 25 years until the election of 2453 saw a return to the republic. In 2495 The First Church of Dundorf was established as the State Religion of Dundorf. Armed Forces See Bundeswehr Demographics Ethnicity The Primary ethnicity of Dundorf is Dundorfian. Important ethnic groups originating in Dundorf include Duntrekkers and some Deltarians. Language The primary language spoken in Dundorf is Dundorfian, considered the oldest member of the Dundorfian language family whose members include English, Lormann, Dunnish and Dovani-Dundorfian languages like Kazulian and Dranian. Additionally, Groznic, a Deltarian language, is still spoken in parts of the region with the same name. Religion The State Religion of Dundorf is The First Church of Dundorf. Membership in it is not mandatory. Major religious groups include: *Calvinists, the largest religious group in Dundorf. The Calvinists in Dundorf have influenced other religions in the region like the Episcopal Church of Kirlawa. *Lutherans *Catholics *The Quakers, who number between 40,000-50,000. Culture Economy In the 2310s, Radio Free Kirlawa broadcast in Dundorfian across the border into Dundorf, but those operations ceased after an RFK broadcast tower was hit by socialist missiles. PENDING!! Work In progress!! - Anti-Trust policies (KMP) - Protectionism (KMP) - Socialist history (Stalinist parties) - Agriculture (Feudal orders) - Industry (Stalinist parties) - Commercial development - Finance (central bank) - Dundorfian Mark - Infrastructure (Transport-landlocked; energy; - Import - Export - Tourism - Foreign investments - Labor force/labor market - Politics Bundesrat The parliament of Dundorf is the 600-seat Bundesrat elected from throughout the country through the Land. The current make up of the Bundesrat, as of the election of October 2599: Active Parties Anarchitarians Einheitspartei Die Linke Nationalliberale Partei Nationalistische Partei Dundorf Sozialistische Reichspartei UDU/ODU Category:NationsCategory:DundorfCategory:Artania